Real Madrid’s seven-year transfer strategy: building the future through youth

It’s been more than six and a half years since Madrid signed a player over 25 years old as an established star for a significant transfer fee. Players like Antonio Rüdiger (2022), David Alaba (2021), Kylian Mbappé (2024), and Trent Alexander-Arnold (2025) arrived either on free transfers or, in Trent’s case, for a fee paid to Liverpool to secure his early participation in the Club World Cup. Joselu also joined in 2023 for €2 million in a low-cost deal, but it wasn’t considered a major market move.

Season after season since 2019, Real Madrid has focused on youth. The idea is simple: invest in young talent and give the club a decade to mold the squad, while amortizing transfer costs over time. Signing fully developed stars has become rare. In the 2019-2020 season, Hazard, Mendy, and Jovic arrived. Jovic, though young, failed to live up to the early promise.

The player profile Real Madrid are chasing

Players like Camavinga, Tchouaméni, Bellingham, Güler, Endrick, Huijsen, and Carreras all fit the club’s ideal profile, and Dutch midfielder Kees Smit is no exception. He turns 20 on January 20, with his entire career ahead of him. Madrid’s potential move for the AZ Alkmaar starlet would fall far short of the triple-digit fees seen for players like Vitinha or Alexis McAllister, yet he offers the creativity the club believes is crucial for the future.

The strategy at Valdebebas hasn’t changed: stability on and off the field comes from signing young players who can wear the Real Madrid jersey for a decade. Three La Liga titles since 2019, two Champions League trophies, a Copa del Rey, multiple Spanish and European Super Cups, and Club World Cups all reinforce the wisdom of this approach.

LaLiga giants favor youth over experience

Still, Real Madrid faces a challenge heading into next season: reclaiming the midfield spark that has been fading over time. The plan remains to bring in young talent, though there is ongoing debate about whether experience and proven quality should play a role. For now, youth wins, and Kees Smit is at the top of the list.

Madrid look to the academy

The same philosophy applies to the center-back position. Recent signings have either come from the academy or arrived on free transfers. Homegrown players like Jacobo Ramón at Como, Joan Martínez in Castilla training with the first team, and others such as Victor Valdepeñas - who has already debuted as a left-back - Diego Aguado, and Mario Rivas are being closely monitored.

Chema Andrés is another example, excelling in an accelerated development program in Stuttgart. Gonzalo García’s progress also suggests a path for non-defender academy players to join the first team exists. The door is open for the next generation.

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